Following a second round of interviews with five finalists, the Jacksonville Jaguars announced on Friday afternoon that they are hiring Rams Director of scouting, James Gladstone, to be their next general manager.
“In the end, we found James to be a class ahead and exceptional in every regard – vision, new ideas, communication, chemistry and a keen understanding of the league and our team, to name a few of many virtues he will bring immediately to the Jaguars,” said Shad Khan in a statement.
With the new of the hire still fresh, here are three things you need to know about Gladstone.
Another Rams’ connection in the Jaguars new leadership structure
Gladstone had spent the last eight NFL seasons working in the LA Rams’ front office. He is the latest addition to the Jaguars’ new leadership structure that has Sean McVay and the LA Rams’ fingerprints all over it.
Along with Gladstone’s time with the Rams, head coach Liam Coen spent two seasons working in LA and under McVay as well. And with that experience, along with Coen’s general philosophies when it comes to the offensive side of the ball, he very much considers himself a part of the McVay coaching tree.
“Definitely,” said Coen when asked if he considers himself part of the McVay coaching tree. “That was where I learned truly the game in a lot of ways. Got my, if you will, PHD in coaching and learned at a different level. To be around him, the Kevin O’Connells, the Zac Taylors, those guys, the Matt LaFleurs, to be around them, to see how they operated, this is the way I would like to do things.
“You’re always going to have your own twist on it, but I’m proud to say I’m in the Sean McVay tree.”
Then, in addition to Gladstone and Coen, offensive coordinator Grant Udinski has indirectly worked heavily in a McVay-esque offense. Although Udinski was never on the Rams’ coaching staff, he did work closely in Minnesota with head coach Kevin O’Connell, who before joining the Vikings’ was McVay’s offensive coordinator.
A youth movement in Jacksonville
Gladstone is just 34 years old. Coen is 39, Udinski is 29, and defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile is 42 and all will be in their respective roles for the first time in their NFL careers.
But with that, as Udinski described recently, there is energy and excitement. And while the coaching staff plus Gladstone may be young in age, the Jaguars’ new leadership structure has its share of experience in terms of roles they filled, schemes and structures they’ve worked in, and tasks they’ve handled.
“I would say we have an energetic staff for sure,” Udinski said. “So, maybe that’s how I would look at it there, but in the sense of youth, I think you feel the energy, the excitement, the passion for football, for coaching, and the work that goes into making this thing ultimately what we want it to be.
“I think that carries over not only into our interactions with each other so far, but I think that will show up in our relationships with the players and the relationships, hopefully, with everyone else in the building. So I think the energy is palpable.”
During Gladstone’s eight season with the Rams, he held a number of roles with the team Most recently, he was the Director of Scouting Strategy for the previous three seasons and worked closely with GM Les Snead.
“In his role, he works directly with General Manager Les Snead in strategic planning and execution of day-to-day scouting processes,” says the Rams team site. “Additionally, he is responsible for scouting current and prospective players and providing frequent analysis on special projects.”
Gladstone played an important role in the Rams’ success in the draft
Working alongside Snead, Gladstone has played a key role in the Rams’ pre-draft process, and the results in recent years have been excellent.
In the last two classes alone, the Rams have drafted the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2024 in Jared Verse, along with Puka Nacua, Steven Avila, Kobie Turner, Byron Young, Braden Fiske, and others.
Adding to the overall impressiveness of the Rams’ draft classes is that from 2017-2023, right in the heart of Gladstone’s tenure with the team, the Rams didn’t have any first round picks during that span.
It was the Rams’ ability to hit on so many picks, even when they didn’t always have high-end draft capital, that allowed them to retool the roster so quickly in recent years, putting them back into contention with the NFC’s best.
Over the last four seasons, the Rams have a record of 37-31 during that span, which includes three 10 win seasons, three playoff appearances, and a Super Bowl win in 2021.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( 3 Things to know about new Jaguars GM James Gladstone )
Also on site :
- MHS Today: Denver Broncos Rookie Minicamp Recap
- I’ve made ‘hundreds of thousands’ by buying and selling car number plates – here are the best to make easy money
- Aims to break ground on student health, wellness center